Guest & public lectures
Introductory and specialised lectures for universities, colleges, libraries and professional departments.
Milika Tembo
Bibliotherapy Where Literature Meets Therapy Researcher
Advancing awareness, research and dialogue on bibliotherapy in Zambia.
Invitations
- Guest lectures Clear teaching on bibliotherapy
- Conference talks Papers and session chairing
- Awareness sessions Ethics kept in view
- Research Zambia and unstructured contexts
The subject
What is bibliotherapy?
Where Literature Meets Therapy
Bibliotherapy is the intentional use of books, stories, poetry and other written materials to support reflection, emotional understanding, personal development and wellbeing. It recognises that literature can do more than inform or entertain: it can help readers interpret experiences, encounter new perspectives and find language for thoughts or emotions that may be difficult to express.
The term combines two ideas: biblio, meaning books or literature, and therapy, meaning care or support. Bibliotherapy may therefore be understood as using carefully selected literature within a guided process to encourage insight, conversation and positive personal development.
About me
Welcome to a space where literature is treated as a path to reflection, understanding and public conversation about wellbeing.
I am Milika Tembo, a librarian, doctoral researcher and advocate working at the meeting point of librarianship, counselling, research and education. I am advancing bibliotherapy as a subject of academic discussion and public awareness in Zambia.
What I offer
- Guest lectures and conference talks — clear teaching on what bibliotherapy is, and what it is not, for universities, libraries and professional gatherings.
- Workshops and awareness sessions — structured, educational sessions for staff and students, with clear boundaries so the work never becomes unplanned therapy.
- Research collaboration — working with departments and organisations exploring how bibliotherapy might be studied and applied.
Teaching and engagement
Bringing bibliotherapy into academic, professional, workplace and community conversations through accessible, research-informed learning experiences.
Workshops
Interactive sessions combining literature, guided reflection and discussion.
Conference talks
Research presentations, panels and session chairing, including work from Zambia.
Upcoming engagement
A quieter kind of conversation
“When literature is encountered with intention, the act of reading can become an act of reflection, connection and discovery.”
Recent posts
Coming soon.